Each time there’s an update on Stacey Addison’s case, emails flood back and forth between Team JST. Maybe because the majority of us also graduated from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) or maybe because Dr. Addison has been living our worst nightmare as avid travelers.

Today, we’re elated to see a post on Help Stacey Facebook page written by her mother Bernadette Kero, who has been restlessly managing her 15,000+ followers page. The latest announcement posted this morning at 1 a.m. PST, was to say that Stacey is coming home!

Bernadette posted:

IT’S FINALLY HAPPENED! STACEY IS ON HER WAY HOME!!!! Stacey’s passport has been released by the judge and we’ve been notified by the Embassy that her plane has just departed East Timor! She will arrive back in Oregon on Wednesday, 6 months to the day that her ordeal began. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT, POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS! YOU NEVER GAVE UP!! There are so many people to thank! Thank you to our wonderful Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and particularly Jeff Merkley who supported Stacey from the very beginning, to Ambassador Stanton and the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Dili for all of their hard work, to the former President of East Timor Jose Ramos-Horta for his support and generosity, to Stacey’s lawyer Paolo Remedios, to Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, to the support group of friends in Dili, to all of Stacey’s friends and family, to everyone who signed the petition and contacted their representatives, to everyone who contributed to help defray her legal fees for what may be the most expensive taxi ride ever and to all of those who worked behind the scenes and many, many more. It’s been quite a journey! Please stay tuned for a thank you from Stacey when she gets back to the States! Can’t wait for you to get back home Stacey! ‪#‎HelpStacey‬

Photo of Stacey holding her passport with her good friend Dawn who started the Dili support group and her lawyer Paolo Remedios and photos of Stacey’s departure at the Dili airport.

Dr. Addison had been solo backpacking around the world since January 2013. On September 5, 2014, she traveled from Indonesia into Timor-Leste (aka: East Timor, an island country formerly part of Indonesia) to renew her Indonesian visitor visa when she shared a cab with another passenger who asked to pick up a package at a local DHL office. Addison was arrested once police found methamphetamine in the package. She was held in the Dili Detention Center during four nights then released after an initial hearing with her passport detained until authorities finish further investigation. Since then, it’s been a long struggle with local government and trying to get the attention of the U.S. government.

Jetset Times has been closely watching Stacey’s situation and even conducted an exclusive interview with her mother. We’re extremely thrilled to see Stacey returning home. With more to come on Wednesday when she arrives back in Oregon.

For close to $4.5 million you can have a small village which comes with a castle and a church.

No big deal.

Umbria is a region of historic and modern central Italy and the only Italian region with neither a coastline nor a border connecting to other countries. Umbria includes Lake Trasimeno, where this luxurious estate is built on shown by LuxuryEstate.com.

When Team JST visited Panama’s private island Isla Palenque last winter, we really got a taste of what it feels like to own your small island. And the consensus was: this ain’t too shabby!

With the 11-acre estate on Lake Trasimeno, it includes: a two-residential-floor castle which overlooks the village’s tennis courts, two private harbors, and an English garden-inspired park of the XIX century with “chinoiserie architectural solutions planting trees and exotic plants.”

The castle embodies 10 bedrooms and can be transformed into a private super leisure escape or a luxury hotel which can be easily packaged to travelers with a unique history since the estate was found around 14th century Church of St. Francisco and turned into a monastery in later years.

Lake Trasimeno is located in the south of the Po River and to the north of the nearby Tiber River. It has a surface area of 49.4 sqare miles as the fourth largest for surface in Italy (slightly smaller than Lake Como). The listing of the village is worth close to $4.5 million, but truly, it’s around the same price range as a luxurious apartment in Tokyo, New York City, Taipei, Paris or even San Francisco.

History buffs and art fanatics will be the ones chasing after this beauty as it’s already specially protected by local authorities. Head to LuxuryEstate.com for more details on this opulent listing.

Nestled between three of the continent’s most visited countries (Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia), Paraguay is often passed over by travelers for its lack of bucket list attractions or major cities—but that, in fact, may be its greatest appeal. Paraguay may not leap off the map for most travelers, but it does offer something much more appealing: an authentic experience far from the gringo trail, seemingly untrammeled by the footprint of overcrowded tourism. So whether you delve deep into the Chaco wilderness, trek across the Pantanal, gaze in wonder at the Itaipu Dam, or embrace the carnaval spirit in “The Pearl of the South” – Paraguay is one of South America’s best-known secrets.

5 things to avoid:

Do not buy crafts made from native woods, such as lapacho and palo santo.

Don’t throw toilet paper into the toilet bowl, only in the wastebasket.

Avoid drinking water in rural areas unless it is filtered.

Few public camping grounds exist, as most lands are privately owned, so ask permission before setting up camp.

Avoid using credit card outside of major cities, as they are rarely accepted in smaller towns.

Weather:

Jun-Sep: Rainfall: 1.5-3.5 in. Temp: 55-75 °F. Temperate winter weather makes this the best time to visit the Chaco.

Time:

Local time is GMT minus four hours.

Visa requirements:

Similar for a Brazilian visa, the process of attaining a Paraguayan visa requires a bit of patience on behalf of the traveler.

For citizens of Canada, New Zealand and US, all visas must be attained in person, at the nearest Paraguayan embassy in the respective country or in the consulate of a neighboring country around Paraguay (Brazil, Argentina, or Bolivia).

US citizens must pay a $160 fee for a tourist visa. For more information on US visa requirements, see the US State Department’s site here.

For most other nationalities, you can obtain a same-day visa by bringing two passport photos and two print copies of the following documents: passport, proof of onward travel and proof of adequate funds (i.e. credit cards, ATM cards).

Make sure to get your passport stamped upon entering the country or face heavy fines when exiting.

Citizens of the following countries are not required to have a visa for tourist entry:

Etiquette:

Men and women will give a kiss on the check when greeting. It’s not uncommon for friends of either sex to walk arm in arm. One thing to avoid is making the “O.K.” sign (making a circle with your thumb and forefinger), as this is considered offensive.

Safety:

Paraguay is often touted as one of the safest countries to visit in South America. Except in parts of Ciudad del Este and Asunción, walking alone at night is safe. Make sure to bring a guide with you when you head out to the Chaco region, as the environment can be hostile and barren.

Money:

Paraguay uses the Guaraní (G) currency and issues banknote denominations of 2000G, 5000G, 10,000G, 20,000G, 50,000G and 100,000G. It’s recommended to keep smaller note with you, as change for larger notes may be difficult to find.

Money exchange:

It’s okay to exchange money through street vendors, though they tend to give slightly lower rates than casas de cambio (exchange offices), which are readily available in any major city. Make sure to shop around for rates.

ATM:

Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus can be found in every major city and town. Keep in mind that outside of the Mennonite Colonies, you will not find any ATMs in the Chaco region.

Credit cards:

Credit cards are accepted in major cities only, but watch out of for surcharges. Call your bank or credit card company for more information.

International calls:

Skype, Google+ Hangouts, or FaceTime will be your best options for cheap international calling. If you don’t have a laptop or Internet access, try a locutorio (phone office) where you can call for about a $1 per minute (rates may vary). For the international operator dial 0010 and for an international direct call dial 002.

Mobile phone:

Recommended mobile phone companies include Tigo and Claro, which sell chargeable credit tarjetas (cards) at almost every newsstand or kiosk.

SIM card:

Many companies offer very low rates for domestic mobile calls, with some even offering free SIM cards, or SIM cards with small amounts of saldo (credit) already on them for a small fee. Claro SIM cards can work in both Brazil and Argentina, so make sure to ask the newsstand merchant on how to format the card.

Wi-Fi:

Internet access is widely available in major cities but less so in small towns. On average, an hour of Internet use will cost between 300G to 600G.

Electricity:

Paraguay uses round or flat, two-prong outlets with no grounding pin. The electrical current is 220V at 50hz.

Water:

Drinking water in cities is potable. The same cannot be said, however, for rural sourced water, especially in the Chaco region.

Tipping:

A service fee is normally included in restaurant bills, but if it isn’t then a 10% tip is standard. Tips aren’t usually expected in bars or for taxi rides but if you’re feeling generous, feel free to round up the tab.

Taxi:

Taxi fares in major cities are metered, so avoid using taxis that don’t have a meter. Outside of the major cities, no taxi fare should incur more than 30,000G in Ciudad del Este or more than 20,000G in any other city, for that matter. In Asunción, there is a mandatory 30% recargo (surcharge) applied on Sundays and holidays, between 10PM and 5AM.

Guided tours:

A visit to Paraguay wouldn’t be complete without trip through the Chaco region and the Pantanal. For an eco-friendly tour through many of Paraguay’s most remarkable outdoor regions, make sure to visit FAUNA Paraguay for more information.

Courtesy: YouTube

Many have said everyone should skydive at least once in a lifetime. Except, when something goes terribly wrong. Especially when that something is…a seizure.

On Sunday, Nomadic Adrenaline posted a YouTube video of a man named Christopher suffering a seizure while jumping out of a plane in Australia. Luckily, he was saved by a WA Skydiving Academy instructor who pulled his parachute.

It’s been almost a week since I’ve been back in my childhood city of Taipei but haven’t been able to sleep well. For most of February, my family and I went on our annual Chinese New Year trip (2014: Iran, 2013: Russia, 2012: Israel/Jordan/Palestine…). The hot ticket this year was to Nepal, where I slept like a baby and ate like a cow.

Whether it was on a bus or at a not-so-glamorous lodge near a native safari, I functioned like a normal human being. Never mind the setting was a developing country, I slept 8 hours every night, maintained a high-energy level, ate tons of rice and naan bread (yes, carbs), read books I had always wanted to finish. Let’s be clear these things never happen when I’m settled in one city living a stationary or a so-called “normal” life in which I watch my daily carbohydrate intake like a hawk and call myself lucky if I can get 5 hours of sleep daily.

If you’re the kind of person who spends hours daydreaming about where to go next then religiously compare flights and hotels (hi, me too), you’re a travel lover. If your body clearly operates better when you’re on the road, your energy is sustained at the highest level, meanwhile your mind is consistently maximizing optimism and clarity, then you’re a travel junkie just like me.

It’s easy to be on a travel high in Nepal, in a land where people don’t have much but they carry the kindest smiles ready to welcome you into their homes and share their lives. Hygiene can be an issue for many travelers, hence the ability to drink bottled water – large amounts of them – on a daily basis is an underappreciated blessing. Particularly next to families living in houses without windows or children bundled in clothes sprinkled by dusts. But those sparkling eyes urged me to wonder how much I really need to be happy. These moments gave me the best travel high.

This year, we launched Jetset Times SHOP. An extended platform where we collaborate with international companies and artists made of travel junkies just like us. Mr. Michael Yamaoka, a noted travel photographer born and raised in Japan but now permanently resides in New York, is a partnership I treasure. After the death of Mr. Yamaoka’s son in 1997, he decided to solely focus on personal photography, all related to traveling. Team JST and I have meticulously curated an exclusive collection our readers can purchase with less moolah than the prints being sold at art galleries in NYC.

The best part is that I’m able to exercise #JetsetForGood with every item sold on Jetset Times SHOP. With each photograph purchased, for example, a portion of the proceeds is donated to Harmony Home AIDS Association in Taiwan, a foundation that means a great deal to me.

As we march into spring, it’s all about cleaning out the clutter in our lives. Make sure to do things that give you a positive high and shine light on a better version of yourself. Here’s to being a travel junkie. Once you start, you can’t stop.

We’re only a few weeks away from spring cleaning but getting rid of clutter is truly about making space for new and beautiful things to come. This is where travel inspiration comes in. For our readers who need a little daily visual motivation, you’re going to love our exclusively curated collection in JST Shop, and the prices are just as “exclusive”!

Yep, you read that right. What’s typically being sold at New York galleries for at least $1,800, you can now own in your home for $340 to start. Michael Yamaoka is our favorite and a noted travel photographer from Japan, now living in NYC. After the death of his son in 1997, Mr. Yamaoka published a book, Odyssey, A 35 Year Photographic Journey, then left his career in commercial work for Fortune 500 companies to focus on shooting for personal photography worldwide.

With a specially curated collection (by Mr. Yamaoka and Jetset Times founder/CEO Wendy Hung) which ranges from reflections of the Eiffel Tower to a snowy bench in Central Park – and peaceful icon of Buddhas in Japan, too – Mr. Yamaoka’s exquisite photography gives us inspiration to see the world in a calmer yet revitalizing state of perception.

Where else are you going to get exclusive photography at 75% off of gallery prices? Head to JST Shop now to score your own piece of travel muse.

Despite being Spain’s smallest autonomy and province, La Rioja has a lot to boast about. It is home to stunning views of wine country, the most amazing wine in the world, and Spain’s most famous street for delicious pinchos: Calle Laurel. The capital city of La Rioja was voted the gastronomic capital of Spain in 2012 and you will find many of the country’s tastiest culinary dishes all packed into a compact zone in the historic center of the region’s capital, Logroño.

Pinchos are like tapas, or, small snack-size dishes to have between meals with a drink. The difference is that pinchos often have a toothpick in them and are often served atop a slice of baguette. Each establishment on Calle Laurel and its neighboring streets specialize in two or three distinct dishes, so much of the fun lies in popping in and out of various restaurants and bars in order to try as many different tapas as you can. Each pincho or tapa costs between 1-5 euros and a glass of the best red wine you will ever have ranges from 70 cents to 3 euros. Despite not being Spain’s most well-known tourist destination, Logroño and La Rioja are well worth the visit just for the food and the wine.

Here are a few local favorites and recommendations from locals living in Logroño that should convince you to make the worthwhile journey to Spanish wine country for an unforgettable gastronomic experience.

1.9 million Twitter followers, you’ve gotta be careful about what’s being posted!

JetBlue has certainly learned that lesson last week when the low-cost U.S. airline tweeted “Oh, the Blumanity” showing off its latest aircraft design. But many didn’t find the joke funny as it referenced at the 1937 Hindenburg disaster.

The phrase “Oh, the humanity” was taken from Herbert Morrison who was a radio announcer reacting to the tragic disaster that resulted in 36 deaths.

Seconds after the tweet was posted, followers or not were offended and criticized JetBlue for lack of sensitivity. Some shocked, some calling it an ultimate Twitter faux pas despite the airline quickly deleted the tweet 10 minutes after witnessing backlash.

We recognized it was an error. It was not well thought out, and we removed it.

The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937, when German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, situated adjacent to the borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey. Out of 97 people on board (36 passengers and 61 crewmen), 35 people died (13 passengers and 22 crewmen) including one worker on the ground was also killed, making a total of 36 deaths. At the time, it was considered as the worst commercial aviation accident in history.

1. BioSense® Neck Travel Pillow

Why we love it: The custom BioSense® technology made with green tea, charcoal and seed oil for natural odor resistance relieves pressure for your head. If you constantly suffer from neck aches on flights or in cars, then this memory foam core is extremely helpful. It also fits right in your carry-on!

2. J Pillow

Why we love it: How much do we hate it when our heads keep falling forward during a flight. Utter embarrassment! J Pillow is winner of the British Invention of the Year in 2013, and gives your chin tons of support while providing your head and neck the perfect relaxing position on the side. Here’s another pillow easy to travel with as well!

3. Cabeau Memory Foam Evolution Pillow

Why we love it: Not only does it already have memory foam, but you can adjust and customize the level of softness by changing how much air to put inside. Since it’s inflatable, it’s also extremely convenient to stuff inside handbags.

4. TravelMate (R) Memory Foam Neck Pillow

Why we love it: It’s zippered and machine-washable! Plus, a built-in elastic strap makes it real easy to attach to any carry-on luggage. If you want a travel pillow that struts the traditional look but made from high-quality, thermo-sensitive memory foam, then this is your perfect choice!

5. Travelrest Travel Pillow

Why we love it: Not only does it come with a unique ergonomic-shape technology, its sling-like form makes it easy for you to snuggle and wrap your arms around. Since it’s also an inflatable pillow, you can adjust its size according to the size of your seat whether you’re using it on the plane or in the car.

7. Kuhi Comfort

Why we love it: These amazingly cozy pillows may look unconventional but sure hit a high caliber of comfort! Inside these fun micro-fiber pillows are fiberfill. Who says travel pillows have to be a bore? Twist, flip and turn to customize your own fit so you can say goodbye to neck pains!

Two things we love about the high-quality gadget: For the most part, it’s ideal for the outdoors traveler as shown in the promo video above, filmed in Chamrousse, France. The luxury accessories will be useful for navigation and known for its durability under extreme weathers. Users can also use the watch to check heart rate, outdoor temperature and take advantage of Google Now with vocal interaction.

Secondly, we also love that it’s unisex. Stainless steel and unibody form with interchangeable wrist bands, women can enjoy this tech and fashionable accessory just as much as men can. As indicated by the second promo video, Huawei boldly highlights the unique design aspect of the product appealing to both males and females.